One of the prerequisites when reforming higher education in Ukraine is ensuring the ability to develop leadership skills for students, which in turn, improves the efficiency of the educational process at universities.
In Great Britain, students play an important role in organising the education process. Their involvement and input in the improvement of education, student rights and protection is extremely valuable. After having reviewed the best initiatives of the UK Education System, the British Council in Ukraine, endorses putting in place student self-governance and the development of student leaders in Ukraine.
The British Council in Ukraine has organized the two-module leadership competencies development programme. The Student Action programme help participants strengthen their own leadership skills in implementing social initiatives and master the tools to influence the quality of higher education at their university.
The programme was developed by Mychailo Wynnyckyj (Head of the Secretariat of the National Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education, professor of National University of "Kyiv-Mohyla Academy” and Lviv Business School of Ukrainian Catholic University, advisor to the Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine).
Other trainers were involved in the programme:
- Tymur Demchuk, Head of Corporate Programmes of KMBS, Political Science Teacher at the creative academy "Maibutni", co-founder of KMA Gift Shop and KMArt Yard/Space, member of the Presidium of the NaUKMA Alumni.
- Volodymyr Pavelko, Deputy Dean of KMBS on International Development, Leadership and Change Management courses lecturer.
- Ivan Gomza, Director of the Center for Quality Assurance at NaUKMA, fellow of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) in 2013 and the Fulbright Program in 2016-2017.
- Fedir Krykun, Strategic Communications Consultant, PR Consultant.
- Iryna Demchuk, fundraiser/International Support Manager and member of the project design offices in state reforms, has experience in areas in eHealth, centralized procurement, medical procurement of Ukraine.
- Tetyana Kharchenko, fundraiser at UA:Suspilne, Vostok-SOS and emergency medicine reform.
- Representatives of the student union at Northumbria University (UK).
PARTICIPANTS LEARNT ABOUT:
- students’ role in ensuring the quality of higher education;
- tools to influence the quality of higher education;
- peculiarities of dialogue and cooperation between students and university administration;
- role of student unions and student organizations;
- successful cases in implementing social initiatives in Ukraine and the United Kingdom.
After the programme was completed, the call for proposals was announced among the programme participants. Students got a chance to develop their projects aiming at improving students life, influencing the quality of education, encouraging communication between students and university administration. Based on the proposals, three teams were awarded grants in 2018 and 2019 to implement their projects.